TuneTracker problem

The first list shows IOGEAR UC232A which is based on the PL2303 IC.

Bruce describes a “red device” sitting between the USB cable and the RS-232 cable. However, a quick look at the IOGEAR web site shows a “grey plug” with appears to have green and red LEDs.

So, maybe the station delivered to Bruce included a different USB to Serial adapter although still based on the PL2303 chip. Or, the plug “glows” red because of a fault?

On Prolific Technology’s web site, there is a note ( http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=225&pcid=41 ):

Warning Notice:
Please be warned that counterfeit (fake) PL-2303HX (Chip Rev A) USB to Serial Controller ICs using Prolific’s trademark logo, brandname, and device drivers, were being sold in the China market. Counterfeit IC products show exactly the same outside chip markings but generally are of poor quality and causes Windows driver compatibility issues (Yellow Mark Error Code 10 in Device Manager). We issue this warning to all our customers and consumers to avoid confusion and false purchase.

Hoping this helps.

I suspect you meant “worth noting”? Otherwise, it seems to conflict with the rest of the paragraph.

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It is a red colored device from Broadcast Tools. It is labeled “S9” It goes between the USB cable from the computer to the data wire to the switcher.

I can reach “care package” but I don’t know how to put something in it or send it.

This is a TuneTracker computer. It came from Dane in Wisconsin. Not a 3rd party. It is Haiku. I get no help from him anymore. And I understand he may be clueless too. But that doesn’t solve my problem. A refund was offered months ago, but I foolishly thought this could be fixed. Why wasn’t a replacement offered? No, Dane was patient with me, and I appreacite that. BUT as this went on and it was obvious that the answer was going to be hard to find, he disappeared! And that’s crappy!!! I had been using a TuneTracker computer for 10 years. I foolishly thought he would help with this since he sold it to me. I am clueless about how this stuff works. So there is were my anger comes from. Would an update work? I don’t know! Would a new cable work? I don’t know. Right now, I have pulled the contact closure wires from the switcher and the computer is simply interrupting the network at the hard breaks. I lose 2 liners per hour, but so far, it is working. But if and when the computer fails to see the switcher again, i will have 2 things on the air at once again!

Yes. I bought it straight from TuneTracker. It is the 2nd one I have had. I liked the idea of having it all in computer without having to download something. The first one would stop for no reason every 2-3 months, but otherwise worked well. So I figured a newer version would solve that problem. I was wrong. I have had nothing but trouble from day 1 with this one.

OK, thanks. I didn’t know exactly how TuneTracker is “productized”. Strange that a turnkey system would have this sort of issue. You would think those would be squashed in testing, what with having total control over HW and SW.

Even a cheap serial PCI card is better than ANY USB-serial adapter. I found that out by a long series of trial and error, mostly to connect legacy lab equipment to modern PCs.

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You would think that bugs like this would have been found! I was given an updated version of the program, it didn’t help. I have changed out a card in it too, now that I think about it. In fact, the problem is worse than it has ever been. I pulled the network wiring last night, and the computer simply interrupts the network at the hard breaks. I can actually live with that, but what if the computer stops seeing the switcher and I have 2 things on at one time?

You totally misread what I said. I was not sure which revision of haiku they are on there is a ton of differences between alpha 4.1 and now.

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The question is not for the time being whether an update would work, but it would be important to first know whether the tunetracker programs would still run on a current nightly.

If so, then you can (for security) first time parallel to your haiku install a recent haiku and watch how far the programs are still running.

Does the computer have a free expansion slot inside? That would be a sure fire way to settle this…just eliminate usb from the situation.

As marietto suggested. Serial expandsion cards are super cheap also.

I cannot find information about this device on the Broadcast Tools website.

Tune Tracker should have the “build” file for your system and be able to go from here:

In an earlier comment, there is the mention of issues with the AMD-based F2A55 motherboard they have been using over the last couple of years.

The Broadcast Tools S9 device may be a repackaged IOGEAR one, or could have been sourced from somewhere else. A RS-232 Serial card maybe more robust in this case and Tune Tracker should be able to provide you guidance (and possibly replacement part) for this.

Good luck.

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Not quite sure if there are vacant slots. I would have to pull the cover and check. Found one! On the way to Best Buy.

You may not find on there best buy kinda sucks.

$5 on eBay to around $10-20 on Amazon though… I would suggest getting one we suspect will work though.

Still chances are good if best buy has one it should work in theory.

Got one from Newegg. It’s running OK right now.

THANKS for all the help. Hopefully this cures the problem.

Confused… 10hrs ago you said you saw an empty slot, were heading to Best Buy. We’re told maybe not the best choice. Yet 7 hrs ago, you say you got a card from NewEgg and it’s working?!? Do you live next door to a NewEgg? Lucky dude, if so! :smiley:

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I see a hub under a xhci slot, I don’t think Haiku supports that so well.

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Lots of good stuff in this thread, yay for the Haiku community :slightly_smiling_face:
Looks like @marietto possibly saved the day here. Usually when we reach out for advice it is on the ‘TuneTracker mailing list’… But maybe we should ask here in the Haiku forums first.

@Bruce please do keep us posted on how the PCI card based RS232 serial port works with the BT Tools switcher over the next few days.

@korli How does one read the output of “listusb”? I thought that if it said “usb/0/hub XHCI” and then “usb 1 OHCI… Aten IOgear” then the adapter is on OHCI (USB2?) and not on USB3 ? Anyway if we use a PCI card from now on that will be moot (fingers crossed). Will get in touch with Dane as I don’t think he reads these forums.

P.S. When all this is settled, I’ll talk to Dane about opening a “jack of all trades” job position over at TTS; caveat emptor though, it will probably read something like this: “do anything that needs to be done for smooth operation, from Q.A. to SEO to customer support to assembling systems; work a lot, get paid little to nothing” *gg *… On the other hand if the outcome of said work results in improved sales, then who knows if you can eke out a living after a year or two… It wouldn’t be a desk job but a “remote” type job for those who like that (I know there’s a lot of these types like myself out there), from anywhere inside CONUS I guess.

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@Bruce forgot to respond about CP.zip …
You simply double-click the “Care Package” icon; it will launch, work for a few seconds, upload your data to our server, and then display something like “file XYZ has been sent to customer support”. Then you tell me the name of the file and I’ll look it up on our server.